Risehill Tunnel Navvy Camp, Cumbria
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Wessex Archaeology Risehill Tunnel Navvy Camp Cumbria Archaeological Evaluation and Assessment of Results Ref: 68737 December 2008 Risehill Tunnel Navvy Camp, Cumbria Archaeological Evaluation and Assessment of Results Prepared on behalf of: Videotext Communications Ltd 49 Goldhawk Road LONDON SW1 8QP By Wessex Archaeology Portway House Old Sarum Park SALISBURY Wiltshire SP4 6EB Report reference: 68737.01 December 2008 © Wessex Archaeology Limited 2008, all rights reserved Wessex Archaeology Limited is a Registered Charity No. 287786 Risehill Tunnel Navvy Camp, Cumbria Archaeological Evaluation and Assessment of Results Contents Summary Acknowledgements 1 BACKGROUND...................................................................................................1 1.1 Introduction...............................................................................................1 1.2 Site Location, Topography and Geology................................................1 1.3 Archaeological Background....................................................................1 Prehistoric to medieval ...............................................................................1 Post-medieval.............................................................................................2 1.4 Previous Archaeological Work................................................................3 2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ...................................................................................3 3 METHODS...........................................................................................................3 3.1 Geophysical Survey .................................................................................3 3.2 LIDAR survey ............................................................................................3 3.3 Evaluation Trenches ................................................................................3 4 RESULTS ............................................................................................................4 4.1 Introduction...............................................................................................4 4.2 Geophysical Survey .................................................................................4 4.3 Evaluation Trenches ................................................................................5 Introduction (Figures 1 & 3).......................................................................5 Trench 1 (Figure 4) ....................................................................................5 Trench 2 (Figure 5) ....................................................................................6 Trench 3 (Figure 6) ....................................................................................7 Trench 4 (Figure 7) ....................................................................................7 Trench 6 (Figure 9) ....................................................................................8 Trench 7 (Figure 9) ....................................................................................9 Trench 8 (Figure 10) ..................................................................................9 5 FINDS ................................................................................................................10 5.1 Introduction.............................................................................................10 5.2 Structural Material ..................................................................................10 5.3 Domestic Equipment..............................................................................10 5.4 Personal Items ........................................................................................11 5.5 Miscellaneous Finds ..............................................................................11 5.6 Conclusions ............................................................................................11 6 PALAEO-ENVIRONMENTAL EVIDENCE ........................................................12 7 DISCUSSION.....................................................................................................12 7.1 Introduction.............................................................................................12 7.2 Working Conditions ...............................................................................13 7.3 The Buildings..........................................................................................14 7.4 The Workforce ........................................................................................16 7.5 Living conditions....................................................................................16 8 RECOMMENDATIONS .....................................................................................18 9 ARCHIVE...........................................................................................................19 10 REFERENCES ..................................................................................................20 Appendix 1: Trench Summaries i Figures Figure 1: Site and trench location plan Figure 2: Plate 1: Airshaft 1 Plate 2: View from Airshaft 1 to Airshaft 2 (from the south) Plate 3: View along spoil heaps, Airshaft 2 (from the north) Plate 4: View of spoil heaps from Trenches 6 and 7 (from the south- west) Plate 5: View into Airshaft 2 Figure 3: Geophysical survey results Figure 4: Trench 1: plan and photographs Plate 6: Pre-excavation view of Trench 1 (from the north) Plate 7: Post-excavation view of Trench 1 (from the north) Figure 5: Trench 2: Plan and photographs Plate 8: Post-excavation view of Trench 2 (from the west) Figure 6: Trench 3: plan and photographs Plate 9: Oblique view of west-facing section (from the south-west) Plate 10: Post-excavation view of Trench 3 (from the north) Plate 11: Post-excavation view of Trench 3 (from the south) Figure 7: Trench 4: plan and photographs Plate 12: Pre-excavation view of Trench 4 (from the south-west) Plate 13: Post-excavation view of Trench 4 (from the south) Figure 8: Trench 5: plan and photographs Plate 14: Pre-excavation view, layer 503 in situ (from the north-west) Plate 15: Post-excavation view of Trench 5 (from the north) Figure 9: Trenches 6 and 7: plan and photographs Plate 16: Post-excavation view of Trench 6 (from the south) Plate 17: Post-excavation view of Trench 7 (from the north) Figure 10: Trench 8: plan and photograph Plate 18: Detail of wooden structure 802 (part of north-west – south- east aligned fragment) Figure 11: Plate 19: Decorated clay pipe from Trench 1 Plate 20: Decorated clay pipe from Trench 3 Plate 21: Plastic hair combs, glass and jet buttons from Trenches 1 and 5 Plate 22: Selection of pottery from context 503 Front Cover: View across site from Trench 1 Back Cover: General view of site; inset of decorated clay pipe bowl Tables Table 1: Finds totals by material type and by trench ii Risehill Tunnel Navvy Camp, Cumbria Archaeological Evaluation and Assessment of Results Summary In July 2008 an archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Channel 4’s ‘Time Team’ at the site of Risehill, Raygill Farm, Cumbria (NGR 376676 489354). An evaluation comprising eight trenches sought to locate and characterise the navvy settlement and activity associated with the construction of the airshafts for the Risehill Tunnel, part of the Settle to Carlisle line. The evaluation highlighted the generally good preservation of the Site, although many of the buildings appear to have been of timber with only rough stone foundations. Specialisation and division of different parts of the Site between settlement and working areas was seen. Trenches 1 and 5 were positioned to locate what appears to have been a residential hut. The bedding for a tramway that ran down the hillside to Raygill was seen in Trench 2. The excavation also uncovered a structure in Trench 3 that may have been the engine or boiler house. Trench 4 was situated on the southern edge of the square reservoir still visible as an earthwork just to the north of the trench. Excavation of this trench also revealed the presence of a leat running parallel to the edge of the reservoir, suggesting that there was probably a network of water channels to direct water to the boilers, in order to create the steam needed to power the engines. Trenches 6 and 7 appeared to relate to the workshops noted at the Site, and possibly located the site of the blacksmith’s shop. The evaluation results are of at least local significance, adding further depth to our understanding of the construction of the Settle to Carlisle railway line. A short summary of the results will be offered to the Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society for inclusion in the annual round-up of archaeology in the county. iii Risehill Tunnel Navvy Camp, Cumbria Archaeological Evaluation and Assessment of Results Acknowledgements This programme of post-excavation and assessment work was commissioned and funded by Videotext Communications Ltd, and Wessex Archaeology would like to thank the staff at Videotext, and in particular Michael Douglas (Series Editor), Jane Hammond (Production Manager), Ben Knappett (Assistant Producer), Louise Ord (Researcher) and Joanna Gatcum (Production Coordinator) for their considerable help during the recording and post-excavation work. The geophysical survey was undertaken by John Gater, Jon Tanner and Emma Wood of GSB Prospection. The field survey was undertaken by Henry Chapman, University